


Bad Boys Want Good Girls

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Budding Love, Crushes, Exchange Student, F/M, Language Barrier, Makeover, Pining, Tutoring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 11:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10555886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: He could change everything about himself for her except where he came from.





	

It was Niles's first day at a new school, in a whole new country, and he didn't give a damn if he was popular. Not like Xander, who fretted over looking foolish as he tried to learn the language. Not like Elise or Camilla, who wanted a chance to embrace a new culture and make lots of friends. He was barely tolerated back home outside the family, but that was fine. Leo and Odin liked him, that was enough.

Then they met a trio of Cool Kids. A snotty brat with a ponytail down to his ass, a musculehead jock...and _her._

It was love at first sight, but he held no illusions about impressing her. Leo managed to make friends with the ponytail brat after a name-calling contest, Odin had the jock following him around like a puppy, but the girl was said to be from a rich family who would never want her associating with dirty street rats like Niles.

(Plus, he'd spilled coffee on her blouse during a break period and she would have strangled him if they weren't surrounded by witnesses.)

 _I don't need some prissy bitch like her anyway,_ he told himself. She was high society, high class, and high standards. He was garbage, plain and simple. Leo and Takumi, Odin and Hinata were pretty much brain twins, that's how it worked.

She was in his class. Niles was actually a year older than Leo and Odin, but he'd been set back a grade due to his reading problems, and struggling with a whole new language didn't help matters. He didn't care when the other kids laughed every time he stumbled over a word or when the whiny, red-haired teacher's pet seemed _offended_ by his mistakes, but the thought of humiliating himself in front of Oboro _hurt._

One day, to his surprise, she approached him after class.

"Why don't I work with you?" Her face was stern, but her offer seemed legit. "I mean...I've got the afternoon free, anyway, and Takumi feels sorry for you." For a second it looked like she was blushing, but probably not. Niles shrugged, picking up his books, trying not to seem as excited as he was.

"All right." The little Japanese he'd picked up was broken as hell. She was going to have her work cut out for her.

 

He didn't know whether his grasp of the language improved because of his own intelligence, her determination, or his wanting to impress her. He guessed the third thing.

He cleaned up his mouth, started dressing more neatly outside school hours, and tried to like green tea without any sweetener. He tried to make nice with her friends, even the redhead. Sometimes he was almost able to convince himself he was a whole different person, until he looked at himself in the mirror.

 _Nice clothes, drinking tea and learning the language doesn't change where you came from, Niles. You're still garbage, just garbage in a fancy bag doused with perfume._ Oboro's friends didn't trust him, and once he had enough of a grasp on Japanese Oboro wouldn't have a reason to hang out with him anymore.

One day, though, after a study session, she stopped him just as he was leaving the library.

"Niles," she said, in careful, slightly unsteady German. "Will you come to the tennis game with me this weekend?"

He didn't wake up. He was still in the library, fully dressed, looking directly at her.

"Really? Is this a prank? I didn't think your friends-"

"I don't do pranks," she said in her native tongue. "I like you, Niles. I want to get to know the real you better." She smiled. "Much as I appreciate the effort, I think I liked your leather jacket and ripped jeans more. And that cute smirk."

"But I thought..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You didn't seem too impressed with them before."

"Well..." She blushed. "That was before I realized there was more underneath them. You changed so much about yourself just for me, even your drinks," she said. "You don't have to pretend you like green tea, I see your face every time you drink it."

"And Camilla thought I was crazy borrowing Xander's old clothes," Niles sighed. "She was going to have to take them in anyway if Leo decided to take them, but..."

"Just be _you._ I want to get to know the real Niles."

He shook his head, smiling. _Too good to be true, I bet there's someone with a camera nearby._ But no one popped out and he heard no snickering, only the occasional shuffling of papers.

"You realize your parents are gonna throw a shitfit." Instead of scolding him, she smiled.

"Let me handle them. If you can keep up the act in their presence, they should be fine, but don't change just for me. You're not like anyone I've ever met before...and I like that." She kissed his cheek. "See you Saturday?"

He smiled, letting himself believe and be happy for once.

"See you Saturday," he said, in Japanese.


End file.
